Sunday, September 30, 2012

Meatless Mondays the Filipino Style

Supporting the Meatless Monday campaign is another way of supporting healthy living for Filipinos.

Meatless Monday is now being adapted in the Philippines. This is also known as Luntiang Lunes. The government is encouraging everybody to eat healthy vegetables during Mondays and resume the regular meaty meals the next days. Monday because it is believed to be the start of the working week so you must be energized to start a happier healthy week.

I am starting my Meatless Mondays tomorrow and getting excited what to cook. I have decided to cook eggplant salad or ensaladang talong.

This is how to make this simple recipe. There are lots of variations of making it and this is how I'll making them tomorrow.

  • Grill two medium sized eggplants. Peel and set aside. Chop onions and tomatoes (bite-size cubes). mix the three ingredients. Add a spoonful of white vinegar, salt and ground pepper to taste. Add ginisang bagoong (optional). then mix. Serve and enjoy.
I know this is usually used  as a side dish but I eat them as viand.

I am also imagining meatless mungbean soup or shall I call it luntiang monggo na may kamatis :)

  • Soak mungbeans/monggo overnight or atleast three hours. Boil it until  cooked. Strain and set aside. Cut onions and mince garlic.Saute onions and garlic. Add cooked monggo.then mash atleast 2/3 of the monggo to create a thick soup texture. Add 1 1/2 cup of water . Add slices of tomatoes then let it simmer for ten minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. I also add chicken cubes or ginisa mix to flavor the soup. You can also add green leafy vegetables if you want such as pechay. Serve hot with steamed rice.
I think I am ready for Meatless Mondays. By that time, I might be encouraged to consider Meatless Wednesday too.

How about you? What will be your Meatless Monday Recipes?

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How to Treat Stomatitis (Singaw)

Stomatitis or singaw is commonly described as painful mouth ulcers that could be found on the gums, inner sheeks, tongue, lips or palate. This tiny little enemy in the mouth causes you losing appetite and and even talking.

There are different causes of stomatitis. It could be viral, bacterial, simply mouth irritation, or cold sores. Unlike the first three causes, cold sores (also known as fever blisters)  are contagious. This is caused by herpes simplex virus type 1.

Treatment of stomatitis should be depended on the root cause of the sore. Below are the different treatment for the common symptoms of stomatitis.

To ease the pain and inflammation, try applying the following strategies :
  • avoid spicy foods, hot beverages, and citrus fruits and drinks
  • suck on ice popsickles or gargle on cold water
To treat the possible infection, you may do the following:
  • rinse mouth with 1 cup of cold water with a tablespoon of salt. Do its as often as you can. Salt acts as an antiseptic.
  • using hydrogen peroxide is also one way of killing bacteria. with 1:1 ratio of hydrogen peroxide and water, you already have an antibacterial mouthwash
  • baking soda with water (1:1 ratio) is also one suggested treatment for mouth ulcers
  • antiviral medications as recommended by physician. 
To relieve the pain,  you can you the following as per physician's advise :
  • tylenol
  • topical anesthetic agent such as lidocaine, or xylocaine
  • topical corticosteroid preparations.
Boost your immune system with:
  • Adequate fruits and vegetables
  •  proper exersice and adequate rest and sleep
Stomatitis, or mouth ulcers should no longer than 2 weeks , even without treatment. If still persists, you better have an appointment with your physician about proper assessment and management.  Some patients with mouth ulcers needs deficiency test for vitamin B 12 or folate.

However, the most important thing to do is to perform frequent mouth care not only concerning your teeth but also to your gums, palate, and tongue. Soft bristled toothbrush is advisable to clean your teeth and slight sweeping on the gums and tongue. Proper mouth rinsing is also recommended. Also, you must avoid alcohol based mouthwashes..

Thanks for reading.

Please check also out  Yvonne Tuguinay to learn more about me and what I do. Thanks.
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